Method and system for conveying articles
AssigneeGraphic Packaging International, Inc.
InventorsTimothy W. Hendricks, Pete Karst, Kevin T. May
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of conveying articles. The method can comprise moving a plurality of articles in a downstream direction on one or more conveyors, each article of the plurality of articles having an orientation. The method further can comprise moving a plurality of lugs in the machine direction along at least a portion of the one or more conveyors for guiding the articles as the articles are moved in the downstream direction. The plurality of lugs can be mounted along a guide apparatus for facilitating maintaining the orientations of the articles of the plurality of articles during a least a portion of the moving the plurality of articles in the downstream direction.
Claims20
A method of conveying articles, the method comprising:
- moving a plurality of articles in a downstream direction on one or more conveyors, each article of the plurality of articles having an orientation;
- and
- moving a plurality of lugs in a machine direction along at least a portion of the one or more conveyors for guiding the articles as the articles are moved in the downstream direction, the plurality of lugs being mounted along a guide apparatus for facilitating maintaining the orientations of the articles of the plurality of articles during a least a portion of the moving the plurality of articles in the downstream direction,
- each lug of the plurality of lugs comprises a side face extending between a leading end face and a trailing end face, and wherein the leading end face of each of the lugs in a set of lugs of the plurality of lugs is in an opposing relationship with the trailing end face of an adjacent one of the lugs of the plurality of lugs during the moving the plurality of lugs in the downstream direction.
A system for conveying articles, the system comprising:
- one or more conveyors moving a plurality of articles in a downstream direction, each article of the plurality of articles having an orientation;
- and
- a guide apparatus guiding the articles as the articles are moved in the downstream direction, the guide apparatus comprising a plurality of lugs extending along at least a portion of the one or more conveyors, wherein the guide apparatus moves the lugs in the downstream direction along the plurality of articles for facilitating maintaining the orientations of the articles of the plurality of articles while articles are moved in the downstream direction,
- each lug of the plurality of lugs comprises a side face extending between a leading end face and a trailing end face, and wherein the leading end face of each of the lugs in a set of lugs of the plurality of lugs is in an opposing relationship with the trailing end face of an adjacent one of the lugs of the plurality of lugs while the lugs move along a top of the conveyor.
A method of conveying articles, the method comprising:
- moving a plurality of articles in a downstream direction on one or more conveyors, each article of the plurality of articles having an orientation;
- and
- moving a plurality of lugs in a machine direction along at least a portion of the one or more conveyors for guiding the articles as the articles are moved in the downstream direction, the plurality of lugs being mounted along a guide apparatus for facilitating maintaining the orientations of the articles of the plurality of articles during a least a portion of the moving the plurality of articles in the downstream direction,
- the one or more conveyors comprise at least a first conveyor belt extending on a first side of the guide apparatus and a second conveyor belt extending on a second side of the guide apparatus, and the moving the plurality of articles in the downstream direction comprises moving a first series of articles of the plurality of articles on the first conveyor belt and moving a second series of articles of the plurality of articles on the second conveyor belt.
A system for conveying articles, the system comprising:
- one or more conveyors moving a plurality of articles in a downstream direction, each article of the plurality of articles having an orientation;
- and
- a guide apparatus guiding the articles as the articles are moved in the downstream direction, the guide apparatus comprising a plurality of lugs extending along at least a portion of the one or more conveyors, wherein the guide apparatus moves the lugs in the downstream direction along the plurality of articles for facilitating maintaining the orientations of the articles of the plurality of articles while articles are moved in the downstream direction,
- the one or more conveyors comprise at least a first conveyor belt extending on a first side of the guide apparatus and a second conveyor belt extending on a second side of the guide apparatus, and wherein a first series of articles of the plurality of articles is positioned on the first conveyor belt, and a second series of articles of the plurality of articles is positioned on the second conveyor belt.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.